dizzy
Americanadjective
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having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall; giddy; vertiginous.
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causing giddiness or confusion.
a dizzy height.
verb (used with object)
adjective
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affected with a whirling or reeling sensation; giddy
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mentally confused or bewildered
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causing or tending to cause vertigo or bewilderment
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informal foolish or flighty
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have dizziedperfect
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has dizziedperfect 3rd person singular
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am dizzyingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been dizzyingperfect progressive
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is dizzyingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are dizzyingprogressive
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has been dizzyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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dizzyingparticiple
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dizziessingular 3rd person
Past
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had dizziedperfect
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had been dizzyingperfect progressive
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were dizzyingprogressive plural
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was dizzyingprogressive singular
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dizziedsimple
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dizziedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dizzy
First recorded before 900; Middle English dysy, Old English dysig “foolish”; cognate with Low German düsig “stupefied”
Explanation
When you're dizzy, you have a spinning or woozy sensation — you might even feel like you'l fall over. You'll probably feel dizzy for a while when you get off the whirling tea cup ride at the fair. Some people feel dizzy when they're up high, either on a ladder or at the top of a tall building or bridge. Others only get dizzy when they're coming down with the flu or after riding on the merry-go-round at the park. Another way to be dizzy is to be silly or frivolous: "I can't take him seriously, he's just so dizzy all the time." Dizzy comes from the Old English dysig, "foolish or stupid."
Vocabulary lists containing dizzy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Everyone felt dizzy, like we were being vigorously rocked on a hammock for more than two minutes. And the shaking was getting stronger by the second," said public school teacher Cesar Sundo in Lebak town.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
“Starting to feel very dizzy, very low on energy.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
The Italian laboured around the court and lost three successive games before calling for the trainer, saying he felt "dizzy" and "wanted to vomit".
From BBC • May 28, 2026
“So we’re trying to evacuate, and I’m getting dizzy with a headache in the middle of it.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Thinking about all of this made Jess feel dizzy, as if she was teetering at the edge of a cliff.
From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
